The number of COVID-positive cases across the Western NSW Local Health District grew to 63 on Sunday, including 59 in Dubbo.

Concern over the cases in western NSW and fears in other towns including Walgett, Mudgee and Parkes played a major role in the decision to put all of NSW into lockdown from 5pm on Saturday.

The announcement sparked an initial flurry of activity at Bathurst supermarkets but by lunchtime on Sunday the Bathurst CBD was almost deserted and the shelves were still well stocked as the city seemed to come to terms with the new restrictions.

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School students will revert to remote learning this week, council facilities are closed and many retail stores will shut their doors while pubs, cafes and restaurants will only be allowed to open for takeaways as Bathurst's COVID restrictions reach the tightest levels since last May.

But the good news is there have been no new detections of COVID in Bathurst's sewage system since last Thursday and there have been no positive cases of COVID found in the Bathurst community.

And Bathurst MP Paul Toole said there was genuine hope within government that local government areas that remain COVID-free by the end of the week could be the first to be released from lockdown.

"We're seeing numbers ballooning in western NSW and particularly Dubbo but there are also cases in Walgett and Mudgee, which is right on Bathurst's doorstep," Mr Toole said.

"That's why we've gone for a short, sharp lockdown and hopefully after seven days we will see some areas start to come out of it.

"I know Saturday's decision caught some off guard but this is about protecting the community and acting as quickly as we can."

Mr Toole said he felt for staff and business owners who would be left without work this and encouraged them to contact Service NSW to determine what support might be available to them.

He also acknowledged the difficulty of remote learning and especially for Year 12 students who are currently sitting trial HSC exams.

"I know it is tough but our schools and teachers have done this before and hopefully we can get students back to face-to-face learning on August 23," he said.

Western NSW LHD chief executive Scott McLachlan confirmed the concern over growing COVID cases in Dubbo and said the "vast majority" of known cases so far had been infectious in the community.

As a result, he warned cases of community transmission would likely increase in coming days.

"This is time for us all to stop and stay," Mr McLachlan said.

"Don't move anywhere, there are people infectious in our community in Dubbo, and in Western NSW.

"The only way that COVID is spreading is in human-to-human contact, the more contact you have, the more at risk you are, the more at risk we all are. Please, this is time to stay at home."

Mr Toole also encouraged people to comply with the orders to stay at home and urged people to come forward for vaccination as soon as they could.

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